New York’s MICHELLE formed in 2018 as a six-piece outfit dominated by queer and POC members. Debut album HE landed that same year, while sophomore offering After Dinner We Talk Dreams builds on their first LP, weaving in R&B, ’80s synth-pop, jazz, funk and soul.

Thematically focused on desire, the 14-track After Dinner… kicks off with ‘Mess U Made’, which explores the complex dynamics of a domestic environment: “Home is a circus/ But just on the surface / I’m putting that family love back on the shelf”. Thereafter, from bedroom-pop jams (‘Pose’, ‘Syncopate’,‘End Of The World’) to beat-heavy anthems (‘No Signal’, ‘Hazards’), the album brims with energy and invention. After Dinner… is certainly a tasty listen.

8/10